Colleen Hinrichsen is a STEAM Teacher and Instructional Technology Coach in the Mars Area School District.  She teaches STEAM classes to students in grades 2-6, but her goal is to help students make connections across the curriculum to bring learning to life.

At Mars, Colleen created a before-school club for sixth-grade girls called “Project L.I.T.E.” (Ladies Innovating with Technology and Engineering).  This club encourages girls to explore the role their own strengths and passions play in the world of STEM/STEAM.  They are exposed to positive female role models from around the world, and there is a strong emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships and leadership. These ideals are also applied inside the STEAM classroom for all students.

Colleen hopes to create a positive environment for students in order to build a strong school community. She also strives to connect her students to the world outside the classroom. She has arranged Skype opportunities with NASA engineers, authors, aquariums, and other classrooms. She wants all of her students to realize the potential contributions they can make to their world.